Woodward , James (2015) The Problem of Variable Choice. [Preprint]

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Abstract

This paper explores some issues about the choice of variables for causal
representation and explanation. Depending on which variables a researcher employs, many causal inference procedures and many treatments of causation will reach different conclusions about which causal relationships are present in some system of interest. The assumption of this paper is that some choices of variables are superior to other choices for the purpose of causal analysis. A number of possible criteria for variable choice are described and defended within a broadly interventionist approach to causation.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Woodward , James jfw@pitt.edu
Additional Information:	Forthcoming in Synthese
Keywords:	Causation, Interventionism Variable choice, Causal Markov condition, Natural properties
Subjects:	General Issues > Causation
Depositing User:	Jim Woodward
Date Deposited:	18 Aug 2015 19:09
Last Modified:	18 Aug 2015 19:09
Item ID:	11621
DOI or Unique Handle:	10.1007/s11229-015-0810-5
Subjects:	General Issues > Causation
Date:	18 August 2015
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/11621

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